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Experiencing and Visualizing the First Law of Thermodynamics: An In-Class Workshop
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Abstract
We have a designed a workshop that uses a handmade device to illuminate the concepts of heat, work, energy transfer, and thermodynamic path. The workshop, appropriate for general chemistry students, is done in two parts. In the first, students focus on the macroscopic aspect of the first law of thermodynamics, and in the second they develop a microscopic explanation for their macroscopic observations. Central to the workshop is a device designed at Hunter College to give students a feel for heat and work during gas compression. The device consists of a plastic syringe with a temperature probe sealed into the needle end. This is connected to an integrated circuit with a fast response time, which displays temperature. Students are asked to depress the syringe plunger rapidly and observe the temperature rise. This mimics an adiabatic process. The students also perform an isothermal compression. Working in teams and in response to several pointed questions, students are led to a mechanical interpretation of energy transfer in adiabatic and isothermal gas compressions. This mechanical interpretation provides deeper insight into nature of energy transfer implicit in the first law of thermodynamics.
Keywords (Audience):
High School / Introductory ChemistryKeywords (Domain):
DemonstrationsKeywords (Pedagogy):
Inquiry-Based / Discovery LearningKeywords (Subject):
GasesCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).
Three Forms of Energy
Sigthór PéturssonJournal of Chemical Education2003 80 (7), 776Three Forms of Energy
Sigthór PéturssonJournal of Chemical Education2003 80 (7), 776The paper, which is intended for students and teachers of general and physical chemistry, presents questions relating to thermal, mechanical, and gas expansion processes and works out the energy involved. The examples illustrate the physical meaning of ...
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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